"Powerhouse Initiative" to Prepare More Camden Students for Their College Futures

CAMDEN, NJ — Starting this semester, a new collaborative initiative will allow 45 Camden high school students to enter college courses, earn college credits and prepare for the next step in their academic career.

CamdenREACH, which was announced Wednesday, resulted from talks between the Camden City School District, the Camden Education Fund, TeenSHARP, Bard Early College, Camden County College and Rowan University. The Camden Education Fund provided roughly $50,000 to support the program.

“Dual enrollment is an evidence-based and cost-effective method for creating a path to college, especially for low-income students,” said Superintendent Katrina McCombs. “Research shows that students who earn at least 6 college credits prior to their freshman year are more likely to graduate. The transformation of our high schools next fall is about more than just our brand new state-of-the-art Camden High; it’s also about creating new opportunities for students to access rigorous coursework.